Thanks Kevin. 

In addition to keeping units in stock immediate service as the rule, we
have also reduced the cost of the HALCYON. Out of pure respect to our
early customers, we also credited their accounts to reflect the new,
much lower price they could have waited for. 

Have fun!

rmc



Mr. Dude wrote:
> 
> At 1:45 PM 1/3/98, Atle Aamodt wrote:
> >Why can't the rebrather industry do like the experimental aircraft and
> >helicopter industry.
> >Sell the damn think as a homebuilders kit. I refuse to belive that it's
> >harder to assemble a Cis-Lunar type of machine that it is to assemble and
> >tune a  2 seat helicopter kit. I would even bet that my Radio controlled
> >X-cell 60 size helicopter is more difficult to assemble and tune, than a
> >well designed rebrather kit.
> >
> >I'd like comments on this one.
> 
> Atle,
> 
> The real problem, as I see it, has two parts:
> 
> 1)  Most divers lack of basic mechanical knowledge.
> 
> 2)  Most "manufacturers" lack of basic veracity in their public proclamations.
> 
> Lets address each one, shall we?
> 
> 1)  From what I have seen, (and this is no reflection on the
> mechanically-inclined out there - you all know who you are), most divers
> who want to get into rebreathers lack some extremely fundamental knowledge
> of mechanical systems, electrical systems, and gas transport systems
> necessary for a true understanding of what is going on during a rebreather
> dive.
> 
> This information is really (in my opinion) more critical than most people
> recognize.  A fundamental requirement of anyone who buys a rebreather
> should be that they learn not only how to actually dive it, but HOW IT
> WORKS.  They should learn how to fix it, how to tear it down, put it back
> together, and understand down to the most basic level what the rebreather
> is doing at any given moment during the dive.
> 
> Evidence of this lack of basic knowledge is all around us - just scan the
> archives, and you'll see what I mean.  This is why Bill set up this
> newsgroup, to assist all of us to learn more about diving, and the rigs
> themselves.
> 
> With that in mind, selling someone a "Kit" to build at home is a recipe for
> disaster.  If you build a kit airplane incorrectly, it probably won't
> start, or fly.  But you could, in theory at least, assemble a rebreather
> incorrectly, and dive it successfully for a few minutes, before everything
> goes South...
> 
> You are absolutely right when you say that your RC helicopter is more
> complex than a rebreather - however, we're not talking about something with
> an engine that either flies, or not.  A rebreather is essentially a "Gas
> Management Life Support" device.  And the physics of gas managment at depth
> can be very unforgiving.  As such, it MUST be assembled correctly, tested,
> and verified as fully functional within its design parameters.
> 
> Now, lets look at #2
> 
> 2)  From the time I bought my rebreather, I have been witness (as have we
> all) to endless claims of different companies that they were going to
> introduce the newest, hottest, rebreather in the world, very, very soon.  I
> have also seen many "experts" come and go.  As of today's date, there are
> only 2 or 3 companies that I know of, who have actually delivered on their
> promises - and even some of those companies have had to recall some of
> their machines for upgrades/repairs.
> 
> I work in the entertainment business, and I have to admit I thought I had
> met all the wanna-bees and charlatans that there could possibly be on this
> earth.  I'm here to tell you, I was wrong.  The diving business has
> absolutely no equal when it comes to hype, and pure unadulterated bullshit.
> 
> How this came to be, I don't know.  Maybe it's the general "macho" attitude
> in the diving world that influences it.  Maybe there are too many rich,
> gullible divers out there, eager to have someone fleece them of their
> money.
> 
> What I do know is this:   If the diving business was run by BUSINESSMEN,
> you would see a lot more workable products on the market today, and a lot
> less "pretenders."
> 
> I know this sounds harsh, but it is unfortunately true.
> 
> How many times have we heard claims of some new-fangled rebreather to hit
> the market "soon" that never happens?  How many claims are made by people,
> not even qualified to change the oil in your car, that they are developing
> the "next generation" of rebreathers?
> 
> I understand that there are companies out there, who HAVE delivered the
> goods, and this diatribe is not aimed at them.  They have fulfilled their
> promise, to a degree, and are providing customers with units.
> 
> With that in mind, who out there would YOU trust if they announced the
> "new" rebreather-kit?  Would you plunk down a deposit?
> 
> It would seem to me that the term "caveat emptor" was designed specifically
> for the rebreather industry.
> 
> In summation, all I can say is that I believe that there will probably
> never be a "kit" rebreather for sale anywhere in the world, and that the
> industry will be plagued by false promises, misleading advertising, and a
> general lack of integrity for years to come.  It is unfortnate, but true.
> 
> Of course, (as I said above) there ARE many companies out there who are
> quite honorable, produce products that operate as advertised, and support
> their customers, but these organizations know who they are, and they should
> know that the opinions expressed above don't pertain to them.
> 
> That should keep some of the flames off my butt...
> 
> Just one reporters opinion...
> 
> Kevin Juergensen

--
Robert M. Carmichael

http://www.browniedive.com 	SSA, Mixed Gas & Tank Fill Compressors
http://www.halcyon.net		Rebreathers, Harness Backplate & Wings 
http://www.selfrescue.com	Responsible Diver Self Rescue P.S.A. 
 
"Simplify diving and restore the ADVENTURE.................Do it Right"
--
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